Fonseca makes history after winning first tour-level title in Buenos Aires

Joao Fonseca’s eye-catching ascent hit new heights on Sunday at the IEB+ Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, where he captured his maiden tour-level title.

The 18-year-old Brazilian produced a dazzling performance to defeat fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(1), becoming the youngest South American to win a title in the ATP Tour era (since 1990). Competing in his first tour-level final, Fonseca twice unsuccessfully served for the match but regrouped in style to sink a fourth Argentine of the week amid a raucous atmosphere in the capital.

“Unbelievable week, even in Argentina there are some Brazilians cheering for me,” an emotional Fonseca said. “That’s just amazing. Every Brazilian, everyone from their country wants this support from your own country. For me, this [moment] that I’m living is just unbelievable.

“I want to thank my family, my friends and my sponsors for just helping me achieve my dream, which is to play tennis. Of course I want to be No. 1, of course I want to win Slams, titles, but my dream is just to play tennis, and I’m living it.”

One year ago, Fonseca was No. 648 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the 52 weeks since. The teen has begun his 2025 season on a high, winning an ATP Challenger Tour title, upsetting Andrey Rublev as a qualifier at the Australian Open, and now claiming his first ATP Tour trophy.

Fonseca was on the brink of defeat in his quarter-final against Mariano Navone, but showed his fighting spirit to save two match points and complete an epic comeback victory. Having won three of his four matches prior to the final in deciding sets, Fonseca may have been fatigued. Yet the teenager found an extra burst of energy to motor through a blistering second-set tie-break against Cerundolo.

Sunday’s championship match proved to be a battle between two blistering forehands, and it was Fonseca who was successful in using his own to dictate the baseline exchanges. The Brazilian outhit Cerundolo in their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head series, striking 26 winners, including 17 from the forehand side, to the Argentine’s 16.

With his one-hour, 45-minute victory, Fonseca became the 10th-youngest titlist in ATP Tour history. The reigning Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion will climb to a career-high No. 68 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.